The present invention is directed to a method and an apparatus for applying ornaments to a web of material.
It has been suggested that it would be desirable to have decorative webs, such as wallpaper, covered with ornaments such as nail heads, rivets, jewels and the like. Whereas it is known to apply these types of ornaments to fabric for clothing, the application of such ornaments to webs for the use as a wall covering presents additional problems. When a web is used for wall covering, it is important that the position of the ornaments be accurate and repeatable so that the patterns can be matched when mounted on a wall. This same accuracy is needed when cutting holes in webs used for conveyor belts, since these holes must receive cleats on items to be transferred by the conveyor belts and which are made with close tolerances.
Examples of methods of applying ornamentation to web material can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,911,722; 3,045,309; 283,235; 3,905,848; 1,908,824; 4,312,077 and 2,482,537. Moreover, various methods and apparatus for applying patterns of ornaments to material have been proposed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,649,540; 3,238,082; 3,634,917; and 2,858,597.
All of the prior art methods and apparatus have the disadvantage of not achieving the accuracy and repeatability that is necessary for applying ornamentation to webs of material which would be suitable for use as wall covering or for cutting holes in webs of material so that they would be suitable for use as conveyor belting.